The boy was going to be the death of him. Severus could not believe that he had gone missing for an entire day. It hadn't been until lunch that Severus had even noticed. He was aware of Harry's relationship with food and knew the boy would never purposefully miss a meal. Besides, Potter knew that he was forbidden to miss any meals. After lunch Severus caught up with his first years to see what Harry was up to.

"Mr. Malfoy," Severus called, "Where is Mr. Potter?"

Draco looked confused, "Well we went to go see him in the infirmary this morning but Madam Pomfrey said she released him right after breakfast. We figured he was doing something for you, sir."

"You mean you haven't seen him all day? Keep an eye out for him and if you find him please send him to my office." He told them.

"Of course, sir," Pansy answered.

Severus knew that his first years would be on the lookout for the boy now, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Harry would not miss meals and he was constantly surrounded by the other first years. Added to that he had been attacked just a couple of days ago, by someone who resided in the school no less. Yes, he did need to find the boy, sooner rather than later.

He started looking in all of the normal places first years usually spent their time. He checked the common room, dorms, lake, astronomy tower, owlery, and the library. Severus had plenty of wards on his office and would have been alerted if Harry had shown up there looking for him.

He glanced at his watch and swore. It was almost dinnertime and Harry had been missing now for over five hours. Possibilities began crossing his mind, each more horrific than the last.

Severus Snape didn't panic. He was a trained spy and had learned to control his emotions many years ago. He could think rationally when faced with a difficult situation so he took the logical next step. He alerted Dumbledore who alerted the entire staff and ghosts so they could help with the search.

An hour later and still no sign of Harry he decided to check the Great Hall to see if the boy had shown up for dinner. After a quick glance at Slytherin table his fears were confirmed. All of his first years were there besides Harry and they looked as worried as he felt.

He decided to check the dungeons. He hadn't checked past the common room and there were plenty of confusing corridors. Perhaps the child had gone to explore and had gotten lost trying to find his way back.

He was just walking by the common room when he spotted two rather small students coming his way. Walking closer he noticed it was Harry and the Granger girl and the tension that had been building all day immediately left him.

"Mr. Potter," he called, "where have you been all day?"

Severus watched as both students came to an abrupt halt in front of him. He watched Harry tense and keep his eyes to the floor.

"We got caught up in reading, sir," Granger answered for the boy.

"You were just released from the infirmary, Mr. Potter," Severus said, pushing down the anger that has suddenly filled him. "You had been attacked and then you go an disappear for an entire day without a word to anyone? Besides that you missed a meal and you know how important it is for you not to miss any meals."

He saw the effects of his words as the boy turned bright red, not moving to meet his eye at all. Seeing that he was growing increasingly uncomfortable Severus dismissed the girl and had Harry follow him to his office where they could talk.

Once they were both seated Severus gave himself a moment and took a deep breath.

"Stay here for a moment," he told him, "I need to inform the staff that you have been found."

He ignored the curious look that crossed Harry's face and went to the floo to fill Dumbledore in. Once he assured the man that his young slytherin was completely unharmed he returned to his desk.

"Do you understand the commotion you caused today?" he asked while the boy continued to play with his hands. After sitting in silence for a few minutes he continued.

"Mr. Potter look at me," Snape said and waited until he saw emerald green eyes staring back at him. "The entire staff has been searching the castle trying to find you all day and you've had your friends very worried. What have you been doing all this time that cause you to miss meals? You know how important it is for you to continue to eat as much as you can and to take your potion."

As soon as he had stopped speaking the boy once again put his eyes down and muttered a response that Severus couldn't make out.

"A clear response would be appreciated, Mr. Potter." Severus drawled.

Harry picked his eyes up to meet his as he said, "I'm sorry, sir."

Severus sighed, "While I do appreciate the apology I would like to know where you were all day long."

Harry glanced back down at his hands, "I uh… I went to the library and then I got caught up in reading further down the dungeons. I'm sorry, sir. Honest! I didn't mean to have people waste their whole day looking for me!"

"While you were just wandering around the dungeons reading your book, the entire staff was out looking for you because you might have been injured. No one had seen you since this morning and the longer you were missing the chances of you being hurt continued to climb. You apologize for the time you wasted but instead you should be apologizing for the worry you caused," Severus told the boy.

Harry didn't seem to know how to respond to his words. He sat completely still and continued to keep his eyes on his lap. When he lifted his head Severus could see that he was struggling to keep his composure.

Severus ran his fingers through his hair, "This time you will not be punished but rest assured that if I find out you are skipping meals or disappearing for hours I will be forced to take points and give you detention."

Harry's emotions were written all over his face. Severus could see the guilt and fear turn into relief at his words and then quickly turn into suspicion.

"I trust you have your potions as Madam Pomfrey said that she gave you another weeks worth?"

Harry nodded and Severus summoned the food that the house elves left him in his quarters. He did take notice that the boy eyed the plate jealously.

"Eat. You haven't eaten all day and you must be hungry," he told him.

Harry's eyes lit up before a blank expression once again took over the child's face. He watched Severus while he slowly took a bite of food. Once it was clear that he wasn't going to stop the boy, Harry began to eat with more vigor. He ate his entire meal in silence and then took out his potion from his backpack and downed it in one gulp.

"Now that you are finished I do have one more thing to discuss with you. While you may not be ready to talk about what your relatives did to you, I have the power to remove you from their care. It is painfully obvious that something is not right in that house and you are going to need to talk about it," Severs raised his hand as the boy began to protest. "Not right now, but soon. I assure you, Mr. Potter, that you will never be stepping foot in that house again. The headmaster and I are currently looking for an alternative place for you to stay."

Severus wasn't surprised that the boy didn't change his demeanor at all. It would take time for Harry to trust what he said but Severus was determined to gain that trust.

"Will I go to an orphanage, sir?" he asked.

"Eyes up, Mr. Potter," Severus said, "No, you will not be going to an orphanage or anything of the sort. We are looking into families and couples that want to take you in."

The child muttered something that Severus didn't quite hear.

"What was that? I cannot answer any of your questions if you do not speak clearly."

Harry looked up at him, "Sir, I'm sorry but I don't think anyone would want to take me in. The Dursleys really aren't so bad."

"Mr. Potter," Severus purred, "I will not tolerate lying in this office. We both know the damage that they caused even if you still refuse to speak of it. I will not allow you to ever return there even if no one wanted you, which is simply not true. When your parents died many people petitioned to try and get custody for you. The only thing the headmaster and I are trying to do is find the right people for you to live with."

The boy began playing with his hands once again and a faint tinge of red covered his face.

"If you don't have any further questions than you can be dismissed. Come to my office Wednesday after dinner so we can have another meeting where we can discuss any problems you have, academic or personal. And Mr. Potter my door is always open if you need to talk just come knock on my office door."

The boy nodded as he zipped his backpack and practically ran out the door. Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. It had been a long, stressful day and he hadn't gotten any of the work he had planned to do done. It was destined to be a long night once again.

SHSHSHSHSH

Harry ran out of the office as fast as his legs would carry him. That had been one confusing meeting with the professor. He thought he was dead for sure once he saw the expression on the man's face before he took him to his office.

He couldn't bring himself to believe Snape about the Dursleys. He had been through this routine before. The teacher would see his injuries and believe him but his aunt could spin it and make up completely reasonable explanations for why Harry was hurt and then he would be sent back there an it would be worse because he would be punished for telling. He knew this summer was going to be bad and if Snape kept butting in then it might be worse than Harry could even imagine.

Plus, what was the bull about so many other families wanting to take him in. Where have they been all if his life? Certainly no one cared enough to check on him at the Dursleys so how did he know that they even existed. No, Harry couldn't let himself fall into this trap. It would only hurt him in the end.

The closer he got to the Slytherin common room the more agitated he became. How dare Snape tell him those things? He had said the staff was worried and that was why he was mad at him but why would they be worried? He could understand his friends begin worried but not the teachers, it just didn't make sense.

Shouts of "Harry!" came as he opened the door and entered the common room. A blur came running toward him and threw their arms around his neck. Harry couldn't remember ever being hugged and it was a strange feeling, almost as if he couldn't breathe for a minute.

As soon as the arms were around him they dropped and Harry saw that it was Pansy who had mobbed him and behind her all of his fellow first years stood.

"Where have you been all day?"

"Yeah, what happened?"

"Have you seen Snape yet?"

"Where did you disappear to?"

It seemed that everyone was trying to talk to him at the same time until Draco pushed his way to the front and said, "Hey everyone why don't you shut up and let him explain."

The common room had gone silent and Harry could feel not only his friends' eyes on him, but everyone else's too.

"I was just reading guys. I had to show Hermione this spot so she could…" He stopped as the yelling began once more.

"Wait you were with bloody Granger all day? Do you know that we spent the entire afternoon searching high and low for you? After you being attacked we were sure that something horrible had happened to you and you were just off with that mudblood all day?" Draco yelled the loudest and he was right in Harry's face.

Harry could feel the blood rushing to his face and he took a step back. "I'm sorry... you guys… I didn't think," he stammered.

"Yeah that's right, you didn't think!" This time it was Blaise yelling. "I thought we were friends but apparently you would rather be surrounded by Gryffindor filth than be in our presence."

"Guys, please," Harry tried to interrupt but even Millie was shaking her head at him.

Harry began to feel the walls closing in on him. He needed to get out of there so he turned around and ran back out of the common room, leaving his still yelling friends behind.

SHSHSHSHSHSH

Harry ran until he reached the Entrance Hall. It was only when he stopped that he noticed that someone was following him. He turned around and was surprised to see Theo come to an abrupt halt.

"Come on," Theo said, "lets go sit by the lake."

Harry nodded and they walked out the doors and down to the lake in silence. It was still light out but the sun was starting to go down in the sky.

"Everyone will calm down, Harry," Theo said. "We were all just concerned when you hadn't shown up all day."

"I didn't realize that the day had gone by so quickly. We were just reading when I looked at my clock and by then dinner had already started. I didn't think anyone would notice." Harry tried to explain.

"How could we not notice? You are our friend and there are students who want to cause you serious harm. You shouldn't be going anywhere alone."

"But I wasn't alone! I went to the library when I noticed that Hermione was upset and I knew how to help her. I was with her the entire day," Harry protested.

"You had better stop calling her Hermione or the others are never going to forgive you. You know how it is; you can't be making friends with Gryffindor's and especially not muggleborns. You're just making problems for yourself because even if the others could accept it the upper years will make your life hell. It's just the way it is Harry," Theo said shaking his head.

"You don't get it though," Harry tried to explain. "She's having a tough time in Gryffindor and she doesn't have any friends. I can't just abandon her. At home I didn't have any friends and I know what it's like, okay?"

"Harry I am just trying to help you. Being friends with Granger is going to cause so many problems for you and you can't really afford more problems at the moment," Theo said. "We better go back before we're late for curfew, Snape will have our heads!"

Harry sighed and nodded in agreement. He made his way to the common room knowing at least he still had Theo as a friend, even if the rest of Slytherin hated him.